Axios

Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is battering and bashing New York Republicans in their own backyards to help Hakeem Jeffries become speaker.

Why it matters: Schumer is making peace with his House Democratic counterpart by waging a shared war against Republicans.

Progressive groups, emboldened by the Democratic grassroots' extreme dissatisfaction at their party's older establishment, are preparing to go big in their efforts to unseat Democratic lawmakers.

Why it matters: Three months into the new Congress, more than half a dozen House Democrats already are facing primary challengers. That number is about to skyrocket.

Faculties at several Big Ten universities have asked their administrations to consider a joint defense pact in the face of threats to higher education institutions from the Trump administration, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: The potential pact would mark an escalation in resistance from universities to President Trump's push for them to follow his agenda, which has so far largely targeted private, elite schools.

Immigration authorities did not have an arrest warrant when agents detained Mahmoud Khalil, lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security said in a court filing this week.

The big picture: Khalil, a leader of Columbia's pro-Palestinian protests, is a legal U.S. resident who has been in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since last month. His arrest sparked outcry across the U.S.

Immigrants being removed under the Alien Enemies Act get 36 hours to challenge their deportations, the Trump administration said in a court filing on Thursday.

Why it matters: This is the first time the administration has publicly responded to a Supreme Court decision requiring immigrants a chance to contest their deportations before they are removed from the country.

The Trump administration had an exceptionally bad day in court today, with a string of losses on multiple issues.

• Trump's still-ongoing torrent of executive orders has taken a ton of hits in the courts. Today's was perhaps the most concentrated blow yet, Axios court watcher Sam Baker reports.
• Today alone, federal judges ruled against the White House on four major policy initiatives.

1️⃣ Voting: A federal judge in Washington blocked enforcement of a Trump executive order requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

2️⃣ Immigration: Trump cannot proceed with his plan to deny federal funding to "sanctuary" cities, a judge in California ruled.

Iran asked the U.S. about an interim nuclear deal during high-stakes talks in Rome, sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios' Barak Ravid.

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told White House envoy Steve Witkoff that it might not be possible to meet President Trump's two-month deadline for a final nuclear accord, and suggested a temporary pact to let more complex negotiations continue.
• ⏱️ Witkoff told Araghchi he wants to focus on reaching a comprehensive deal within 60 days, but could revisit the idea of an interim deal, if necessary, closer to that deadline.

Go deeper.

1. 🎙️ President Trump said he's giving an interview to The Atlantic's editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg — the journalist who was inadvertently added to a Signal chain with sensitive military planning. Go deeper.
2. 🎓 Faculties at several Big Ten schools asked their administrations to consider a joint defense pact in the face of Trump's threats to universities. Go deeper.
3. 🇺🇦 Russia launched a new attack on Kyiv — its biggest in nine months. "Vladimir, STOP!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Go deeper.

Uber plans to deploy thousands of autonomous Volkswagen minivans in cities across the U.S., Axios' Joann Muller reports.

• It's the latest in a series of global autonomous vehicle partnerships for Uber, which aims to blend robotaxis with human-driven vehicles on its network.

What's next: Testing is expected to begin later this year, with the first commercial launch expected in Los Angeles in 2026, initially with drivers onboard for safety.

President Trump wants to fast-track U.S. coastal projects to find and extract minerals from the ocean floor that can be used for defense, energy and other industrial applications.

Why it matters: Oceans are potentially rich source of manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper — materials crucial to the energy transition — bound up in nodules on the sea floor.

Federal lawyers mistakenly filed a confidential memo Wednesday in the Trump administration's fight against New York City's congestion pricing program.

The big picture: The internal legal analysis from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan questioned the legal strategy driving the Transportation Department's lawsuit to revoke the tolling program, which went into effect in January.

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

The big picture: President Trump signed an executive order last month to make sweeping changes to federal elections, including a proof of citizenship requirement, triggering alarm bells among voting and civil rights organizations.

A federal judge on Thursday paused the Department of Education's push to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 schools.

Why it matters: The National Education Association and American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration to block the effort, arguing that the directive violated teachers' due process and First Amendment rights.

The Chinese government asserted Thursday that no talks are happening with the U.S. about de-escalating the trade war, and called on the Trump administration to make the first move.

Why it matters: Someone has to blink.

President Trump said Thursday that he will meet with The Atlantic's editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, for an interview following the Signal chat scandal.

Why it matters: Goldberg prompted scrutiny of the Trump administration's ability to handle sensitive information after he revealed that he was mistakenly added to the group chat with top administration officials.

The discussion around how the U.S. government spends money is clouded by the jargon of budget nerds, like "discretionary" versus "mandatory" spending. But what would it look like if you converted spending data into plain language?

The big picture: That's what centrist think tank Third Way has done, taking the thousands of lines of federal spending data and categorizing them using plain language.

The Democratic National Committee on Thursday rolled out a plan to significantly ramp up its financial contributions to state parties — especially in Republican-controlled states.

Why it matters: It's a redux of the 50-state strategy that many Democrats credit with their decisive victories in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said Thursday he has instructed David Hogg that he can't serve as a DNC vice chair while also attempting to oust Democratic lawmakers.

Why it matters: It's the strongest statement yet by the top Democratic Party official about an anti-incumbency effort that has infuriated congressional Democrats.

The Trump administration argued Wednesday that it did not violate a federal judge's restraining order detailing required due process for certain deportations to third-party countries because of a technicality.

Why it matters: Attorneys for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that it had complied with Judge Brian E. Murphy's order because the Department of Defense (DOD), rather than DHS, carried out the deportations in question.

Art Laffer, a conservative economist once praised by President Trump as brilliant and bold, blamed White House trade policy for the "most scary, in-flux" economic moment of his life.

Why it matters: Laffer, widely regarded as the father of supply-side economics, warned that tariffs and trade barriers could wreak havoc on America's economy.

Food and Drug Administration databases that physicians and public health experts rely on for key drug safety and manufacturing information have been neglected due to DOGE-directed layoffs, leaving health professionals flying blind on basic questions about certain drugs they're prescribing, current and former FDA officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: Information gaps that have become a hallmark of the workforce reductions and the sweeping reorganization of federal health agencies under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are putting patient safety at risk, according to agency employees.

In less than 100 days, President Trump has squandered his polling strength on the two issues most fundamental to his re-election: the economy and immigration.

Why it matters: Trump's approval rating is cratering not because voters reject his goals — but because they're increasingly alarmed by his methods. That disconnect threatens to collapse the two most durable pillars of his political brand.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said she made two criminal referrals over alleged classified information leaks and a third one is "on its way."

The big picture: The Trump administration has moved to crack down on leaks to journalists in recent weeks following a series of explosive reports, with the Pentagon firing three top officials after an internal investigation into "unauthorized disclosures" of national security information.